The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification is regarded internationally as the gold standard in sailing certifications. For professional skippers, particularly those working in Spain in the charter sector, yacht deliveries, or on superyachts, this certificate is not simply a milestone; it is a professional requirement. Without it, many opportunities are out of reach. With it, doors open to a broad range of jobs and responsibilities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
The Yachtmaster Offshore exam is demanding, both in its prerequisites and in the assessment itself. Candidates must demonstrate competence in boat handling, seamanship, navigation, leadership, and safety awareness, all under the scrutiny of an examiner. Preparation is essential, not only in terms of sailing experience but also in gathering the required documentation, completing theory studies, and ensuring all supporting certifications are in order. This guide sets out everything a professional skipper in Spain needs to know to plan their route towards the Yachtmaster Offshore exam.
Why the Yachtmaster Offshore Matters
For many recreational sailors, achieving the Yachtmaster Offshore is the culmination of their personal sailing ambitions. For professionals, it represents much more. It is an essential step in career progression, recognised by maritime authorities, charter companies, and yacht owners worldwide. In Spain, where charter operations are tightly regulated and the demand for qualified skippers is strong, the Yachtmaster Offshore is particularly valuable. From October, The Boat School runs Yachtmaster Sail preparation courses and organises exams in both Valencia and Dénia, making this an ideal moment for skippers working in Spain to formalise and advance their qualifications.
Yachtmaster Course and Exam Structure
The typical Yachtmaster Offshore Sail preparation course lasts for five days, followed immediately by the two-day practical exam. The course is designed to refine existing skills rather than teach new ones. It is not suitable for beginners. Over the five days, an experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructor assesses the candidate’s current level, identifies areas for improvement, and prepares them specifically for the demands of the exam. Candidates can expect long days on the water, practical exercises under pressure, and constructive feedback.
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam itself is conducted by an RYA-appointed examiner and usually takes two full days. It assesses the candidate’s ability to skipper a yacht safely and effectively on coastal and offshore passages. Areas tested include boat handling under sail and power, passage planning and execution, navigation (with particular emphasis on tidal calculations), knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), lights, shapes, sound signals, meteorology, seamanship, and safety awareness. Leadership skills and the ability to manage a crew are also examined, as these are critical attributes for a skipper.
Prerequisites: What You Must Have Before the Exam
The examiner will check all prerequisites at the start of the exam. If any are missing or do not meet the required standards, the exam will not proceed. Candidates will still be liable for the cost of the vessel and the examiner’s time, so it is crucial to arrive fully prepared.
The requirements are as follows:
Age: Candidates must be at least 18 years old at the time of the exam.
Sea time: Documented sea time must be completed on a seagoing sailing yacht within the last 10 years. This includes 50 days at sea, 2,500 miles, five passages over 60 miles (including two overnight passages and two as skipper), and five days as skipper. At least half of this time must be in tidal waters.
Certifications: Candidates must hold a marine radio operator’s certificate. The minimum is the RYA Short Range Certificate (SRC), but higher GMDSS qualifications such as the Restricted Operator’s Certificate (ROC) or General Operator’s Certificate (GOC) are also accepted. A valid First Aid certificate is also required. For professional skippers who already hold STCW Basic Training, there is no need to complete an additional first aid course. If you already have a GMDSS ROC or GOC, there is no need to complete the RYA’s VHF SRC certificate. If you do not hold one of these, you can complete the RYA one-day First Aid course or the one-day SRC course and exam.
Medical fitness: A recognised medical certificate is required. The ENG1 is the most commonly used, but in Spain, the “certificado médico de aptitud para el embarque” issued by the Instituto Social de la Marina (ISM) is perfectly acceptable.
Identification: A valid photographic ID such as a passport or driving licence is required.
Language: The exam is conducted in English. A level equivalent to B2 on the Common European Framework is recommended. While it is not necessary to hold a formal maritime English qualification, candidates must be comfortable with nautical vocabulary, commands, and communication at sea.
Examiners will expect you to handle a range of situations in English, including:
- Giving clear and accurate orders to the crew under sail and power.
- Explaining a passage plan, including tidal calculations and pilotage decisions.
- Answering questions on COLREGS, lights, shapes, and sound signals.
- Discussing safety equipment, emergency procedures, and risk management.
- Communicating navigational decisions and explaining your reasoning to the examiner.
If you can manage these tasks with confidence, your English is probably at the required level. If not, it is advisable to seek additional practice before your prep course and exam. At The Boat School we offer Maritime English classes specifically designed for recreational and professional skippers, in collaboration with MissionEnglish, a company specialised in English for specific purposes that has worked extensively with the Spanish Navy and Guardia Civil. These classes can be taken online or in person, in groups or one-to-one.
Theory knowledge is critical. Candidates must arrive at the preparation course with a very solid grasp of the Yachtmaster Offshore theory syllabus. This includes expert-level competence in tidal calculations, passage planning, pilotage, and the Collision Regulations (COLREGS), including lights and shapes.
It is important not to assume that passing the Patrón de Yate or Capitán de Yate theory exams automatically puts you at the required level. The Yachtmaster Offshore theory covers tidal work in far greater depth and requires a much deeper understanding of the COLREGS than what is expected at the level of Patrón de Recreo.
If you are in any doubt about your knowledge, we strongly recommend completing the Yachtmaster Offshore Online Theory course, which involves at least 50 hours of study, and making use of resources such as the quiz prepared by our partners to check whether your knowledge is at the right level before enrolling on the prep week.
To help you evaluate your readiness, we recommend that you take the Yachtmaster theory readiness quiz here, which covers key areas of the Yachtmaster Offshore theory syllabus including tidal calculations, passage planning, and COLREGS. Your results will give you a clear indication of whether your knowledge is already at the required level or whether further study is advisable before booking the preparation course.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore theory readiness quiz
The Importance of Tidal Miles
One of the most significant challenges for Yachtmaster candidates based in Spain is the requirement for tidal miles. The Royal Yachting Association defines a tidal area as one where published data on stream, current, or tidal range exists, and where these factors must be taken into account when planning and executing a safe passage. For the purposes of the Yachtmaster qualifications, the Mediterranean is considered non-tidal. Although there are minor tidal effects, they are not significant enough to count towards the tidal requirement.
For the Yachtmaster Coastal exam, candidates must have a minimum of 800 miles logged, with at least 400 in tidal waters. For the Yachtmaster Offshore exam, the requirement is 2,500 miles, with at least 1,250 in tidal waters. This requirement ensures that candidates have practical experience navigating in complex conditions where tidal streams and ranges significantly affect the vessel’s progress and safety.
Examples of tidal waters include the English Channel, the North Sea, the Atlantic coast of Spain, and the waters around Ireland and Scotland. Non-tidal waters include the Mediterranean, the Baltic, and the Caribbean. The purpose of the requirement is to ensure that Yachtmaster candidates can manage tidal navigation, including calculating streams, compensating for leeway, and adjusting for current. These are core competencies tested in the practical exam.
How to Gain Tidal Miles
Professional skippers in Spain who need tidal miles have several options. One is to join yacht deliveries through platforms such as Yotspot or yacht-delivery.eu. Many charter companies relocate fleets from the Mediterranean to the Canary Islands or even across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. These passages are an excellent way to gain qualifying tidal miles, and it is sometimes possible to earn money while doing so.
Another option is to join mile-building trips. At The Boat School we regularly organise trips to the Atlantic coast of Spain, including the Rías Baixas and the waters along Portugal’s west coast. These areas offer significant tidal ranges and currents, making them ideal for gaining the required tidal experience while also improving practical seamanship.
Endorsements: Commercial or STCW
Once you have passed the Yachtmaster Offshore exam, you may wish to apply for a commercial endorsement. This allows you to use your certificate professionally on coded vessels.
There are two options:
Commercial endorsement: This is valid for UK-flagged vessels and requires completion of additional certifications, including Sea Survival (either the RYA course or STCW Personal Survival Techniques), the Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR) online course, and a valid medical fitness certificate such as ENG1 or the Spanish certificado médico de aptitud para el embarque.
STCW endorsement: This is required if you plan to work on vessels under non-UK maritime authorities. It requires completion of the STCW Basic Safety Training course, known in Spain as the Formación Básica en Seguridad Marítima. This covers survival, firefighting, elementary first aid, and personal safety and social responsibilities. If you already hold this course, you are covered. STCW certificates must be renewed every five years with refresher courses.
What is Included and What is Not
When you book a Yachtmaster Offshore preparation course, certain elements are included, while others are not.
Included in the course fee are the five days of training with a Yachtmaster Instructor and the use of the training vessel for both the preparation course and the exam. Accommodation on board is provided during the course and exam period.
Not included are meals on board, which are self-catered, the examiner’s fee, and the examiner’s travel expenses. As of 2025, the Yachtmaster Offshore exam fee is £256. Examiner’s expenses are currently set at 190 euros per day, usually for two days, plus travel. These expenses are shared among the candidates, who typically contribute to a fund for the examiner’s meals during the exam.
Planning Your Roadmap
Preparation for the Yachtmaster Offshore exam should be approached as a roadmap rather than a single step. Below is a suggested sequence to help you plan effectively.
Make sure your English is up to the required level:
The Yachtmaster Offshore exam is conducted entirely in English, and candidates must be able to understand and be understood without difficulty. While a level equivalent to B2 is recommended, the most practical way to evaluate whether your English is sufficient is to use it in a real conversation. Feel free to contact us if you would like to have a chat in English about the Yachtmaster exam. This simple step is often the best way to assess whether your level is adequate or whether you would benefit from additional Maritime English training before the course.
Make sure your theory is up to the required level:
Allow at least one month if you still need to complete the Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Course Online. The syllabus requires a minimum of 50 hours of study and covers tidal calculations, passage planning, pilotage, COLREGS, and meteorology.
Plan for tidal miles:
- If you are short of tidal experience, allow plenty of time to build it up.
- Deliveries and mile-building trips, particularly on the Atlantic coast, are excellent opportunities to log qualifying tidal passages.
Prepare documentation and certificates:
- Check that all supporting certificates are valid.
- Ensure your logbook and records of qualifying passages are complete.
- Confirm that your medical certificate is up to date.
- The Boat School provides a spreadsheet to help record sea time and passages in a clear and consistent way.
Book your prep course early:
- Courses in Valencia and Dénia are in high demand, so book well in advance.
- Aim to arrive with at least 90 percent of the required preparation completed.
- Remember that prep week is not designed to teach from scratch but to refine and polish existing skills, filling any small gaps and ensuring candidates are fully confident going into the exam.
Vessel and Crew Requirements
The exam is normally conducted on a training vessel provided by the school, but candidates may opt to use their own boat if it meets RYA standards for seaworthiness and equipment. Vessels must be between seven and 18 metres in length and equipped with up-to-date charts, pilot books, tide tables, and navigational instruments. The examiner will not act as crew, so there must be a minimum of two additional crew members on board, often other candidates. The Boat School supplies essential safety equipment, including life jackets, if not already available on the vessel.
Final Considerations
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore is more than a certificate. It is a professional badge of competence and an essential qualification for career advancement. Success depends on thorough preparation: building tidal miles, completing the theory, ensuring medical and supporting certificates are valid, and arriving at the prep week with documents in order. For professional skippers in Spain, it is important to plan ahead, especially when tidal experience must be gained outside the Mediterranean.
At The Boat School, we support candidates through every stage, from mile-building trips on Spain’s Atlantic coast to targeted Maritime English classes, Yachtmaster theory courses, and practical preparation weeks in Valencia and Dénia. With careful planning and the right preparation, the Yachtmaster Offshore is an achievable goal, opening opportunities worldwide for professional skippers.
About the Author
Simon Mellor-Clark is the Director of The Boat School. He holds the Spanish qualifications of Capitán de Yate and PPER, as well as being an RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor, VHF marine radio instructor and examiner, and RYA First Aid instructor. Simon teaches both official practical courses within the Spanish system and RYA qualifications, bringing a unique perspective that combines national and international maritime training standards.
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